Railway rail joint



y 1931- H. J. LOEFFELHOLZ 1,314,939

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Filed Feb. 20,. 1930 lNVENTOR- 4/6"); lloeff'clo/z ATTORNEY l atentecl .luly 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENrF IcE HENRY J. LOEFFELHOLZ, F PERRY, OKLAHOMA RAILWAY RAIL JOINT Application filed February 20, 1930. Serial No. 430,041.

My invention relates to joints, more par- Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of ticularly to joints for use in the tracks of the device; railroads and the like, and it consists in the Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 33 construction, arrangements and combinaof Figure 2; L; tions herein shown and described. Figure 4 is a sectional detail View of a 55 An object of my invention is to provide a portion of the device. joint which when used upon railroads will As is well knownto those engaged in railaccommodate the passage of the train thereroading, the top surfaces generally indicated along without jarring or otherwise vibrating at 1 in Figure 1, are of arcuate formation .10 the passing wheels due to irregularities eX- with the central portion 2 thereof of greater co isting at said joint. elevation than the sides 3. In applying my A further object of my invention is to invention to use on railroad tracks vI take provide a joint of the type described, the advantage of this fact to provide a joint of parts of'which are so formed and related such construction and arrangement that jar- 1 that deformation or disarrangement of the ring and vibrations of the wheels of the elements'formin-g the joint by expansion or passing trains are eliminated. This is accontraction of such elements due to variacomplished by having the greater portion of tions in temperature is avoided. the seam of the joint at the] substantial A, further object of my invention is to transverse center of this top surface of the provide a joint of the type described which rail and extending longitudinally so that no (6 bymeans of a simple reinforcement strucabutments or striking edges meet the onture eliminates the necessity of the use of a coming wheels, which due to this arcuate great number of fasteners for securing the formation of the surface engage the rail at elements of the joint infixed relation. this point 2. It, willbe obvious from an A further object of my invention is to examination of Figure 1 that the passing 15 4 '30 with aminimum use of material. In constructing a joint in accordance with a provide a joint the portions of which are so wheels of the train would not engage the constructed and arranged that the forces transverse shoulders at and 5 and 6 and 7 but exerted. on said joint are resisted without dewould engage the longitudinally alined'porformation or derangement of the elements tions 8 and 9 of the joint.

A. further object of my invention is to my invention the vertical walls of the adj aprovide a joint for use on railroad tracks cent rails 8 and 9 are enlarged to approxiand the like which will permit a smooth pasmately double the normal thickness which sage of the train thereover withoutthe noises exists throughout the length of the rail as i 35 vusually caused b saidipassage d t th is clearly shown at 10 and 11. This is done L unevenness f th t Surface f th j i t, to accommodate the elements of my device A'further object of my invention is to proa P as to prq greater ng h and 'vide adevice of. the type described which is i y at S l i f d simple to manufacture, has few parts, and T 636 en S are [men Orme 111% l 0 but 0 ositel dis osed fashion rovidin does not gel? out, Q i i i intereiigaging portihns for engagen ient witl i other oblects P a Van ages W11 appear the strengthening means as well as the fasi the.SpeG1ficat1On 9 ceeds and the t teners soon to be described. Thus the rail non W111 be m partlcularly defined m the 8 is provided with the transverse rectilinear 5 pp l shoulders 12 and 13 in spaced relation. At 95 The devlce llhlstltated the 9 an angle to these shoulders are the shoulders p y g drawmgs formmg P of thls P" 14 and 15 respectively which are cut in the ,pl ation, in which: wall 10 at an angle oblique to the direction v Figure 1 is a perspective View Of the (16- of the shoulders 12 and 13 respectively. A

vice as used in a rail joint; longitudinal rectilinear wall 16 connects the '1 oblique shoulders 14 and 15. This wall 16 is formed by splitting the rail at the transverse center between the shoulders 14 and 15 and cutting away the portion not needed. The rail 9 is formed in a similarly but oppositely disposed manner providing the shoulders 17, 18, 19 and 20 and wall 21 for engagement with the shoulders 13, 12, 15 and 14 and wall 16, respectively.

For strengthening the joint as well as allowing for the expansion and contraction of said strengthening means and its associated elements the walls 16 and 21 of the rails 8 and 9 are provided with elongated channeled recesses 22 and 23, respectively. These recesses 22 and 23 when brought together encompass a suitable chamber for the reception of the reinforcing or strengthening member 24. As appears most clearly in Figure 2, this reinforcing member 24 terminates in spaced relation to the ends of the chamber thereby allowing spaces 25 and 26 for accommodating expansion. As is shown in Figure 3 this reinforcing member 24 may be rectilinear in cross section to snugly engage the walls of the recesses or it may be constructed in any other suitable manner if desired. Apertures 24 are provided for re ceiving the fastening bolts.

For fastening the reinforcing member into tight locked relation with the ends of the rails 8 and 9 and for securing said ends in fixed relation the fastening means shown at 27 and 28 are utilized. These fastening means may consistof the conventional bolt and nut device in general use or any other suitable construction desired.

Suitable apertures 29 are provided in the rails 8 and 9 in alinement with apertures 24 for receiving the bolt. These apertures 29 are elongated as shown most clearly in Figure 2, to allow movement of the fasteners therein for accommodating the expansion and contraction of the rails 8 and 9. The apertures 24 having cooperation with the bolts or fasteners 27 and 28 may consist of a single bore as shown more clearly in Figure 3 snugly engaging the bolts 27 and 28 or in any other suitable fashion desired. It is obvious that if made in the form shown the piece 24 may expand or contract without injuring or clamping the fasteners 27 and 28, due to the elongated apertures 29 in the rails.

For engaging the fasteners in secure relation with the ends of the rails the plates 30 and 31 are provided. These plates have apertures 32 which as shown may consist of a single bore, expansion and contraction being accommodated by the elongated apertures 29.

From the foregoing description, the use and operation of my device are easily understood. The ends of the rails are formed in the manner described and positioned adjacent one another. The strengthening member 24 is then laid in one of the channels 22 or 23 and the other rail end thrown into snug engagement therewith. This brings the shoulders 12 and 18, 14 and 20, 13 and 17, and 15 and 19 and the walls 16 and 21 into close engagement. The plates 30 and 31 and fastening means 27 and 28 may then be engaged with the elements as shown in Figure 2 and the joint then set up for operation.

It is obvious that upon the passage of the wheels of a train said wheels will engage the portion 2 of the rail surface 1 and in passing over the joint will not engage the transversely positioned shoulders 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 which as can easily be seen cause jarring and vibration in the wheel, but will engage the longitudinally positioned seam formed by the abutting walls 16 and 21. This seam because of its longitudinal position does not set up vibrations and other disturbances which are incident to the enga ement of the wheel with transversely projecting abutments. It is also obvious that due to the thickening of the walls 10 and 11 at the joint the forces exerted on the rails will be readily resisted without deformation or derangement of the parts.

The use of the strengthening or reinforcement member 24 because of its engagement with channels 22 and 23 will transmit to said rails a great number of the forces tending to separate the joint with consequent decrease in the resistingforce required for the fastening means. This enables the use of a smaller number of fasteners 27 and 28 in the joint than when joints of customary construction are employed. In the embodiment shown only two of such fasteners are used whereas in a joint of ordinary construction a minimum of four would be required. It is obvious, however that more fasteners can be used in my construction if desired.

The abutting shoulders 12, 18, and 13 and 17 being situated at right angles to the length of the track directly resist and reinforce the joint against forces exerted on the rails 8 and 9 in a longitudinal direction.

This is obvious from an examination of Figure 2 wherein it will be observed that such shoulders will engage one another in direct abutting relationship. This relation of these shoulders compensates for the decreased resistance offered by the oblique positioning of the shoulders 14, 20, and 15 and 19 upon the transmission of forces in the longitudinal direction.

Upon expansion or contraction of the rails 8 and 9 the apertures 29 in said rails will be moved to change the positions of the fasteners relative thereto.

It is thus easily seen that I have provided a rail joint which allows a noiseless and vibrationless passage of the wheels of a train thereover, which accommodates expansion and contraction of the rails and which requires a minimum number of parts for its eflicient operation. I

I claim:

A rail joint comprising a pair of rails in end to end abutting relationship, the abutting ends of the rails having similarly formed but oppositely disposed cut-away portions the remaining portions providing longitudinal wall members, elongated recesses formed in the Walls and extending over a major portion of said walls and together defining a closed chamber, a single elongated reinforcing member disposed in said chamber and of slightly less length than said chamber, re-inforcing plates upon opposite sides of said rail members, and

29 said walls, said re-inforcing plate members having apertures for reception of fastening means, the apertures of said rail members having an elongated formation whereby said rail members may have limited longitudinal movements with respect to said reinforcing member.

HENRY J. LOEFFELHOLZ. 

